A French police officer is under investigation after a video emerged showing him throwing a man to the ground during a music festival, an incident that occurred 13 days before the man's death.
The incident took place on June 21 in Carcassonne, France, during the Fête de la Musique festival. The 29-year-old victim, identified as Youssef E., died on July 4. Authorities initially stated that there was no causal link between the officer's actions and the man's death, citing an autopsy that indicated a toxic cause and ruled out suspicious injuries from a third party.
However, public outrage following the video's social media dissemination prompted an investigation into the intentional use of violence by a person exercising public authority. The clip shows five officers surrounding the man before one grabs him by the collar and throws him down. The man is then seen in a fetal position, holding his head, as bystanders intervene.
Local media reported that the man sustained an open head wound. The prosecution stated Youssef E. had a history of substance use, a claim disputed by his brother, Hamza. Speaking to BFMTV, Hamza stated his brother was not homeless, had his own room, and was not a drug addict, though he had consumed cannabis and alcohol at the festival.
"We hope that police violence will stop in Carcassonne and throughout the country," Hamza said. "We know the Carcassonne police, they are excellent. When we see something like this, we are disgusted."
The officer involved in the video reportedly works the night shift at the Carcassonne police station. Police were called to the scene around 7 p.m. on June 21 following reports of a group with speakers consuming alcohol and drugs. An investigation by the General Inspectorate of Police is ongoing.
The Fête de la Musique is France's largest open-air music festival. This year's celebrations were reportedly marred by violence across the country, with police reporting 240 arrests nationwide, including two stabbings, two alleged rapes, and multiple sexual assaults. In Paris alone, where over two million people attended, 148 arrests were made amid disturbances that included vandalism and theft. Alcohol was officially banned for the event, but many attendees were seen with their own beverages, and cannabis was reportedly smoked openly.